Previously at Portrush

With The 153rd Open approaching, we have been taking a round-by-round look at what happened the last time the Championship was staged at Royal Portrush, in 2019 …

First Round - The Open's glorious return to Antrim coast
Second Round - Big names make headlines on day two in 2019

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“It’s the most incredible day I’ve ever had on a golf course.”

Shane Lowry’s summary of his Super Saturday in 2019 barely does justice to one of the greatest rounds ever compiled in the illustrious history of The Open.

The Irishman’s flawless eight-under-par 63 not only set a record on the new Royal Portrush layout; it gave him an ultimately unassailable four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood going into the final round.

Lowry had long boasted a stupendous short game and his wizardry around the greens came to the fore on Moving Day at the Dunluce links.

He may have had to wait until Sunday to get his hands on the Claret Jug, but it was his magical third round which laid the foundations for his day in the sun.

While Ulstermen Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell had understandably garnered the lion’s share of media attention in the build-up to The 148th Open – the first to be played in Portrush for 68 years – the likeable Lowry wasn’t short of admirers either.

The proud Offaly man moved through the gears over the first two days, wowing his home crowd with a flurry of birdies, and he was tied for the lead on eight-under-par heading into round three.

However, as well as he was playing, he could not have dreamt of what was about to unfold on the County Antrim coast.

Lowry registered his first birdie of the day at the par-3 3rd after attacking the pin with a bold tee shot. Another birdie arrived at the 5th followed by a third at the 9th which moved him onto 11-under-par and into sole possession of the lead.

Then came a back nine for the ages.

Lowry pulled his tee shot on 10 and the ball landed in deep rough on top of a bank, suddenly bringing the possibility of a first dropped shot – but after talking with his caddie Bo Martin, Lowry dug out a wonderful escape with an 8-iron [above] and watched on as the undulations directed the ball to within a few feet of the pin.

“That was a big shot,” said Lowry, “because you make bogey there and suddenly you’re on the back foot a little bit. But [after birdieing the hole] the momentum was always with me and I was always moving forward.”

Englishman Fleetwood was going well in the group ahead, at one stage tying for the lead.

Playing alongside compatriot Lee Westwood – who birdied three of his opening four holes – Fleetwood didn’t drop a shot on his way to an impressive five-under 66.

Lowry’s playing partner JB Holmes finished with a two-under 69 which, alongside a Thursday 66 and a Friday 68, moved him into third place on 10-under-par, six shots off the pace.

But there was little Holmes, Fleetwood – or anyone – could do to derail the Lowry Express. By the time he reached the 15th the 32-year-old was very much in the zone.

“I was greedy out there,” said Lowry afterwards. “I wanted to birdie every hole and I felt like I could birdie every hole. It was an incredible feeling and an incredible place to be in.”

A brave tee shot on 15 was rewarded with the first of three straight birdies which effectively brought the Claret Jug into plain sight.

Even a miscue off the tee at the par-3 16th failed to halt his momentum. Having played Portrush three weeks prior, Lowry knew he wanted to land on the left side of the green, but he inadvertently pushed his drive a few yards to the right. It turned out to be his best tee shot of the day.

Lowry could do no wrong.

“The crowd were sucking the ball into the hole,” said Martin. “It was crazy.”

An eighth birdie arrived at the 17th, exemplifying Lowry’s sheer dominance of the remodelled Portrush.

“I said to Bo walking off the 17th tee: ‘We might never have a day like this on the golf course again, so let’s enjoy this next half an hour’,” said Lowry.

“And that’s what I did. The crowd was incredible. I just can’t believe what it was like.”

Lowry came within a whisker of equalling Branden Grace’s low Open round of 62, only for his putt on 18 to slide agonisingly left of the hole.

Failing to match that historic landmark did little – if anything – to sour Lowry’s Super Saturday.

He had produced golf from the Gods in his beloved Ireland and was just 18 holes away from immortality.